News

Arlington Students Celebrate Ovi — “Hundreds of students (895 to be exact) from Arlington elementary schools packed stands to cheer on newly-crowned National Hockey League (NHL) goals leader Alex Ovechkin instead of sitting in their classrooms Wednesday morning. The special practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington comes just a few days after Ovechkin scored goal number 895, breaking the NHL’s career goals record.” [DC News Now]

Feds Investigate DCA Incident — “A federal investigation is focusing on an air traffic control communications breakdown that led to a formation of military jets coming within seconds of colliding with a Delta Air Lines flight near Reagan National Airport, multiple sources told CNN. The March 28 incident was in the same crowded Washington, DC, airspace that was the site of January’s fatal midair collision between a commercial flight and an Army helicopter.” [CNN]

Horses for Funerals, Again — “The Army will soon begin limited use of horse-drawn caissons for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, phasing in the long-held tradition after nearly two years of work to improve the care of the horses. Starting June 2, the caissons will be used for two funerals per day, up to 10 per week, the Army said. The decision comes as the Army struggles to improve training, get better equipment and facilities and rebuild the stable of horses after two died in 2022 due to poor feed and living conditions.” [Associated Press]

Beyer Blasts Trump Tariffs — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today ripped the ‘logic’ of President Trump’s insane tariff regime to shreds today during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Trump’s trade policy with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer… ‘It hurts our alliances, it is hurting our economy, it hurts our ability to make and keep free trade agreements.'” [Press Release]

Passover Food Options — “Passover—aka Pesach—is an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the end of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt. This year’s holiday runs from April 12-20… Find full Passover meals, a la carte dishes and delicious desserts at these local spots.” [Arlington Magazine]

Closures for Pentagon City Event — “The 2025 Pink in the Park: Art of Pink event will take place at Metropolitan Park on Friday, April 11, 2025. Set-up for the event will begin at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Friday, and the event will be open Friday from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. The following road will be closed from approximately 6:00 a.m. on Friday, April 11 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.” [ACPD]

It’s Thursday — Expect showers mainly after 2pm, with cloudy skies and temperatures reaching up to 57°F. Southeast winds will range from 6-10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph, with a 60% chance of precipitation. Rainfall amounts will be less than a tenth of an inch. Thursday night will bring rain, lows around 47°F, east winds of 7-10 mph, and a 90% chance of precipitation. Rainfall amounts will be between a quarter and half of an inch. [NWS]

Traffic Enforcement Event — “As Day 1 of ACPD’s high-visibility traffic education and enforcement activation for the @COGStreetSmart campaign comes to a close, remember to slow down, avoid distractions and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.” Another enforcement event for the Street Smart campaign is scheduled for Thursday from 2:30-4 p.m. on S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City. [ACPD/X]

Charges After Fight in Bluemont — “The female victim became engaged in a verbal dispute with three known female suspects during which they allegedly assaulted the victim. The victim reported to the Office of the Magistrate, completed a criminal complaint and warrants was obtained for the suspects.” [ACPD]

More on Military Parade — “On April 4, the county was contacted by the Secret Service regarding the possibility of the parade, Arlington County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said… While the exact scope of the parade remains unclear, Karantonis said he hopes the government is sensitive to the pain and concerns of active military and veterans who may have recently lost their jobs due to decisions at the federal level.” [DC News Now]

PSA: Don’t Randomly Stop on I-395 — “Driver, likely unsure of where they were going, just stops in the middle of an interstate highway causing a three car wreck. This was last night on I-395S at Exit 8B to 110N.” [Dave Statter/X]

Environmental Awards for Arlington –“Arlington County won multiple of this year’s Virginia Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards – the only multi-winner in the state. The awards were announced Tuesday at the Environment Virginia Symposium, recognizing the significant contributions of environmental and conservation leaders.” [DC News Now]

Local Economic Uncertainty — “March car sales started off slow at Beyer Auto Group… But when President Donald Trump announced he would be implementing 25% tariffs on auto imports, that changed. “We had a mad rush of customers come into our stores to buy cars to take advantage of the non-tariff price cars in anticipation of cars prices going up, and we sold probably almost 40% of the cars for the whole month of March in the last six days of the month,” Altman said.” [WBJ]

ICE Arrest in Falls Church — “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working with federal law enforcement partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Diplomatic Security Service, apprehended an illegally present Guatemalan national and convicted sex offender, Ander Cortez-Mendez, 21, in Falls Church, Virginia, April 2.” [ICE]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunshine today accompanied by a high of around 55 degrees with mild, fluctuating winds that will pick up to 6 mph from the southwest in the afternoon. On Wednesday night there will be some cloudiness and a slight chance of light showers after 2 am, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 42 degrees. [NWS]

Military Parade Through Arlington — “According to a D.C. source with knowledge of the plan that’s still being developed, Trump has commandeered Saturday, June 14—the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and, as it happens, Trump’s 79th birthday—for his military parade. It would stretch almost four miles from the Pentagon in Arlington to the White House, according to the source, who stressed that local officials are just learning of it.” [Washington City Paper, Associated Press]

Bar Fights Still a Problem — “Police are addressing nighttime fighting — an increasing problem in the Clarendon section of Arlington… Arlington’s county manager proposed a budget that would provide increased funding for police overtime to staff the Clarendon nightlife detail — $321,000 is included in the plan the county board will vote on this week.” [NBC 4]

Rail on W&OD Trail? — “Transit advocates are hoping to gather support for a plan to build a commuter rail line along the W&OD Trail from Purcellville, Virginia, to the Metro station at East Falls Church. The rail line would be in the footprint of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which first began running in 1859 and faded away in 1968.” [WTOP]

Commercial Real Estate Worries — “A monthly index tracking Greater Washington’s economic well-being fell 4.8% in February from the prior month — the biggest drop since early 2022, when interest rates began their rapid climb… the most recent decline was driven by a pullback in commercial real estate, but cancellations of federal contracts and overall investor sentiment amid the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal government also contributed to the weakening results.” [WBJ]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 47 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds at 14 to 16 mph and gusts reaching up to 29 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low temperature of around 30 degrees, and northwest winds of 5 to 11 mph. [NWS]